ELCA Receives Funds to Teach the Faith and Deepen Worship Life

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- To support the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) efforts to teach the faith and deepen worship life, the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation, Minneapolis, provided $170,000 for the work of the church's initiatives.
"Deepen Our Worship Life" and "Teach the Faith" are two of seven ELCA "Initiatives to Prepare for a New Century." The 1997 ELCA Churchwide Assembly designated seven significant areas of ministry for the 21st century. Leadership teams were formed in 1998 to provide overall guidance for the work of congregations, synods and churchwide organizations.
Goals of the initiatives include grounding members of the ELCA in the Bible and basics of Lutheran heritage, increasing worship participation and deepening worship life, and reaching out to people who do not belong to a church.
Thirty-five congregations, synods of the ELCA and other churchwide organizations each received grants of $2,000 to $8,000 to support local activities around the two initiatives, said the Rev. Wyvetta Bullock, executive director of the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries.

Grants were awarded to: =20
+ Bread of Life Lutheran Church, Jenison, Mich.
+ ELCA Caribbean Synod, San Juan, Puerto Rico
+ ELCA East Central Synod of Wisconsin, Appleton, Wis.
+ Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church, Baltimore
+ First Lutheran Church, Harvey, N.D.
+ First Lutheran Church, Eau Claire, Wis.
+ First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, Mansfield, Ohio
+ ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod, Orlando, Fa.
+ Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Englewood, Colo.
+ Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, Winchester, Va.
+ Iglesia Luterana Divino Nazareno, Toa Alto, Puerto Rico
+ Joy Lutheran Church, St. Charles, Mo.
+ Living Waters Lutheran Church, Crystal Lake, Ill.
+ Lutheran Campus Ministry, Morris, Minn.
+ Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Brooklyn, Ohio
+ Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Chicago
+ Mariposa Lutheran Church, Mariposa, Calif.
+ Messiah Korean Lutheran Church, Flushing, N.Y.
+ ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod
+ North Star Mission Cluster, Bemidji, Minn.
+ ELCA Northeastern Ohio Synod, Akron, Ohio
+ Our Redeemer Evangelical Lutheran Church, Scotia, N.Y.
+ Peace Lutheran Church, Bowling Green, Ohio
+ Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Phoenix
+ Redeemer Lutheran Church, Queens Village, N.Y.
+ Reformation Evangelical Lutheran Church, Chicago
+ ELCA Region 1, Seattle
+ Saint Andrew Lutheran Church, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
+ Saint Andrew Lutheran Church, Charlestown, R.I.
+ ELCA South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
+ ELCA Southeastern Iowa Synod, Iowa City, Iowa
+ Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church, Orlando, Fla.
+ Truth Evangelical Lutheran Church, Detroit
+ ELCA Upper Susquehanna Synod, Loganton, Pa.
+ Zion Lutheran Church, Ferguson, Mo.

"People are trying to make a difference in the life of the church," said Bullock. "There is a lot of interest in reaching out to youth and young adults. Many congregations are also trying to address the need for changing their worship and congregational life to reach out to the unchurched," she said.
"I am convinced that the future of our church is in strengthening congregations one at a time," Bullock said.
The Initiatives grant program is a partnership between the ELCA Division for Congregational Ministries and the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation. The second and final grant application deadline is May 1, 2000, said Bullock.
Lutheran Brotherhood, a fraternal benefits organization, established the Lutheran Brotherhood Foundation to fund innovative projects of Lutheran organizations and institutions.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html